Cannondale Scalpel 2024 Review

Scott, Specialized, Orbea, and Mondraker have set the pace. Now, Cannondale is stepping up. The 2024 Cannondale Scalpel XC race rig comes exclusively with 120mm of travel. Will it live up to its iconic reputation with this new approach?

Henrique Avancini and Mona Mitterwallner both clinched Marathon World Championships riding the previous iteration of the Scalpel. The duo of Alan Hatherly and the Cannondale Scalpel consistently hit the top-10 in the 2023 World Cup circuit. The legacy the new Scalpel steps into is formidable, yet the visual updates from its predecessor are relatively subtle.

The design language becomes slightly more streamlined but is largely maintained. Particularly, the distinctive Flex Pivot design in the chainstay area is turning heads. Cable routing now flows through the headset. These are all minor details when considering the big reveal Cannondale is unleashing with the new Scalpel.

The trend has been emerging on the race circuit and in bike shops for some time now: Scott, Specialized, Orbea, Mondraker, among others, have recently removed their 100 mm race full-suspension bikes from their catalogs. The reasons for this are manifold.

We’ve delved deep into the first two points in our race bike system comparisonRace Bike System Comparison. The outcome: Race bikes equipped with 120mm of travel and a dropper post offer a significantly broader range of application with less than a kilo of extra weight. This not only increases comfort, but also immensely boosts the fun factor. The conclusive sentence from our verdict back then still hits the nail on the head today:

To sum it up: We’re not shedding any tears over the old version. For those who absolutely want a 100 mm race full-suspension bike, they can still find options from brands like Cube, Canyon or Cervélo. What’s of greater interest to us is a certain question.

The analysis of the geometry leaves no doubt: the new Scalpel is not just a quick knockoff of the old Scalpel SE, which has always covered the 120mm travel range. The reach has significantly increased compared to its predecessor. A super short head tube of just 100mm in size L practically offsets the additional suspension travel that the new race bike now features at the fork. For context, the head tube of its predecessor was 15mm longer. Despite having 120mm of travel, the stack in size L only grows by 4mm compared to the old race bike.

The Scalpel maintains a sporty, forward-propelling seating position despite increased travel. The head angle is even slacker than on the previous Scalpel SE. True to Cannondale form, the chainstays grow with size, ensuring balanced weight distribution between the front and rear wheel even in sizes L and XL. Geometrically, the new Scalpel remains a true race bike.

Racers are picky about weight. Many grudgingly accept the extra heft that comes with a dropper post and the additional travel of a modern race bike. At a total weight of 11.4 kilograms, the Scalpel 1 is competitive, but it doesn’t set a benchmark.

Of course, we measured the frame weight individually, as we did with the other race bikes we got our hands on before the 2024 season. The frame of the Scalpel 1 model priced at 9499 € is not the absolute highest tier of Cannondale’s craftsmanship, but at 1960 grams it’s still lighter than many of its competitors. Even though the frame of the Scalpel LAB71 at 12999 € shaves off a few more grams, it won’t beat the benchmark that Specialized set with the Epic recently.

Cannondale has always been known for marching to the beat of their own drum, and they’re not swaying from that with the new Scalpel. While competitors try to outdo each other with features, Cannondale opts out of the trendy storage compartment in the downtube or a headset bump stop.
With two 10 mm spacers under the stem on a size L frame, full lock turning won’t cause any shift or brake levers to contact the deeply drawn top tube. So, in this setup, there’s no risk of frame damage in a crash. However, with lower-mounted handlebars, that risk could present itself.

The integrated mini-tool that the predecessor had under the bottle cage is no more. It seems as though there’s a focus on getting back to the basics.

Most race-ready full-suspension bikes forego an additional pivot in the rear triangle, instead opting for flexing seatstays or chainstays. However, no one addresses flex in the rear quite as impressively as Cannondale. With their ultra-flat chainstays, Cannondale reduces the required force to get the rear suspension to articulate smoothly when compressing.

When compressing the frame without the shock, one still notices that the rear triangle can’t move entirely freely, as it’s under a bit of tension due to its Flex Pivot. Mondraker’s F-Podium is one of the very few full-suspension race rigs that have a fully articulated rear triangle, free from this effect. Other manufacturers like Canyon, Scott, or Specialized also opt for flex in the rear triangle instead of an additional bearing, to shave weight.

If contemporary race full-suspension bikes aren’t leveraging the recently introduced RockShox Flight Attendant suspension system, these bikes face a challenge: accommodating not just the brake and dropper post cables but also the lockout for the shock and potentially a shift cable, leading to 3-4 cables routing through the headset to the rear.

As a troubleshooter in the headset department, Cannondale, like most manufacturers in the market, relies on a headset from Acros, which solves the issue quite well. And although there are many voices that absolutely demonize routing the cables through the headset, we stick to our statement: When you remove the fork, which is inevitably necessary, threading the lines through the frame is easier than through small openings next to the head tube.

It’s a pity that Cannondale routes the cables through their proprietary handlebar-stem unit, creating a bottleneck with three cables that really needs some finessing. It’s a detail that’s irrelevant on the race course or the trail, but in the shop, it definitely requires some extra effort. The more affordable models, up to the Cannondale Scalpel, make life easier for mechanics, as they use a standard stem with no cables running through it.

An intriguing feature is that Cannondale secures the cables with two sets of clamps on the downtube, essentially locking them in place under tension. This precaution dampens any rattling noises and prevents the cables from rubbing against the frame interior over time.

One quirk for mechanics is that the rear shock mount cannot be removed without also unbolting the rear triangle from the rocker. This means that a quick regrease or clean of the pivot bolt takes a bit more time.

At €9,499, Cannondale doesn’t deliver a fireworks display of equipment. The Sram Level Silver brakes feature a quad-piston setup, nonetheless, they don’t match up to the top-tier quality that Rock Shox or Sram provides for components like the drivetrain or the rear shock. There’s room for improvement here. As for geometry, Cannondale hits the nail on the head.

From the first pedal strokes, it’s clear: This bike isn’t a cushy tour-oriented full suspension. Despite the added travel, the riding position remains aggressively sporty. The weight of your upper body is noticeably distributed between your hands and seat. At 4.1 kilograms, the wheels, complete with tires, cassette, and brake rotors, are within the expected range for this price bracket. The Scalpel really shines with its propulsion, largely thanks to the nearly frictionless rollout of the Maxxis Aspen rear tire.

We often emphasize the importance of having a suspension with three modes. However, the Scalpel breaks away from this trend. You can either lock out the Lefty and the shock simultaneously or leave them both open. Interestingly, when pedaling in the open position, there’s virtually no movement, so the absence of a pedal platform is hardly noticeable in this case. The Twistlock lever operates smoothly, and the compression tuning of the Lefty is highly effective in minimizing bobbing when in the open mode. The new Scalpel accelerates quickly, but how does it handle descents?

Cannondale truly focuses on what matters with the Scalpel. While it may not define the benchmark in weight, Cannondale shows a clever touch with the geometry. The bike’s handling is razor-sharp, and its demeanor on the trail remains well-balanced. The Scalpel tackles tight switchbacks with ease. The low bottom bracket consistently instills a sense of security when descending.

And even though the look of the fork often meets skepticism, the Lefty Ocho delivers on the trails. Thanks to its upside-down design, at a weight of 1579 grams, it’s stiffer under braking than other 120mm forks. In this construction, the fork is simply built more robustly around the crown, where the highest bending forces occur while riding. And the Lefty plays out this trump card mercilessly on the trails.

The needle bearings on which the fork rotates, ensure super sensitive responsiveness even when riding or braking. This is because the bushings and the running surfaces can’t bind due to the bearings. And the combination of solid performance and high stiffness gives a confident ride feel with just 120 mm of travel on the descents.

The SRAM 4-piston brakes provide the necessary stopping power. Only the slick rear tire slightly hinders the fun factor on the descents. In wet conditions or corners, the Maxxis Aspen lacks grip.

The Epic is available in 6 build options ranging from €4,999 to €12,999. We’ve taken a closer look at all the configurations. With the arrow icon , you can pull each model into the comparison with every other bike from our extensive market overview.